Friday, June 29, 2012

The kitchen. A space none to seen on the blog. A space next on the list (at least, my list!) A space i stare off into during dinner, imagining the could be's and the should be's. So for sure that's where i'd focus if i won Barn Light Electric's annual B.L.O.G giveaway. Let's take a few moments to lose ourselves in that fantasy, shall we?

Thankfully, the kitchen needs nothing more than granite, back splash, paint job and lighting.

Well hello fan update, where've you been hiding? You're so sleek and retro modern. I like you,ball ceiling fan.

With all those pot lights, we wouldn't be relying on the fan as the only method of illumination, so this silver sleek fella would be a nice option. This guy's totally customizable, as many of their products are. You could choose all silver, like i would, or other blade colors to match your space. Light or without light options, too.

Ooh, this sphere pendant is pretty and perfect for above the sink. Actually it's a fabulous counterpart to the ball fan, don't you think? Great, now i'll never get this combo out of my head!

It's like a tiny tear.
Like those i'd shed if someone else won this gorgeousness.

And these would be full on waterworks and tears of joy if they told me i'd won.

Thankfully, even if i don't get picked (why, Barn Light Electric, why??) the prices aren't so outrageous that you couldn't afford to beautify your space with some of these anyway. But let's keep the fantasy alive while we still can.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

You see it, don't you. The eyesore. (What do you mean the whole thing's an eyesore). I'm talking about the cream, textured, faux wood handled, icemakerless fridge. Skeeve-inducing-can't-get-it clean-no-matter-how-much-i-try-years-of-mold-that-must-be-living-there fridge.

Don't even get me started on that scrolly piece.

Notice how ugly fridge is nestled precisely in to allow drawer usage, but there's nary an inch to spare...

Nary an inch to spare.

We have been looking for her replacement for a long time now, knowing that we can't just put any old fridge in her place should she "crap out on us". Unless we want to lose a drawer and cabinet, and i don't know about you, but that ain't happening in my kitchen.

So we stalked online her replacement, the one, singular, fridge made that met the depth requirements, and knowing that we'd need to special order. We signed up for a store credit card to get it even cheaper, and finally it was time to order up when the credit card was offering an extra 10% off instead of its usual 5%.

But-there's always a but-the water line running to the icemaker means pretty fridge sticks out further then we thought. When i open the drawer to the left, the track hits the fridge and it's making marks. S's solution was to not use the drawer. Mine is to use it as little as possible. We compromised by putting those anti scratch pads on the side of the drawer, so that when it rubs, it's not the track rubbing. We shall see, since those things are meant for the bottoms of chairs, not sides of drawers.

So here's the other half of my never been blogged about kitchen. Sorry for the light fluctuations, this space is always tricky.

It's a nice size, and everything works, it just is visually displeasing to me. Needs include: Pot lights. Granite. Back splash. Lighter paint color. Walls down. Matching stainless appliance. Removal of soffit? I wanted to update this before we tackled the basement that shall not be named, but i couldn't convince the powers that be. And that be S.

The plan is to make a pass through or half wall to the left of the toaster, which would look into the living room (you can see my half moon table lurking in the distance). The excess wall space behind the chair is either going to become a half wall, too or be removed completely to just shy of where the chair is. To the left is the pantry and that large wall with the coffee poster shares a wall with the bathroom, which is why the whole thing just can't come down.

Here's the unnecessary space that i'd like to either half wall or get rid of completely. And there's the pantry.

And what a good pantry it is. And it should be, b/c it takes up the only hall closet.

A visual of where i'd like the other half wall.

Changes are coming, though. Changes that don't require much and will tide me over until realistic dream kitchen, not to be confused with dream kitchen.

Monday, June 18, 2012

My little brother got engaged two weekends ago. Yay for him and his fiance! Right away i wondered what they would do for the overall theme of the wedding, and i can totally see them going in the wine direction. To pinterest i went!

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

So i've been really good at ignoring any father's day related posts that crop up in my reader-a quick click of the "next" button and it's on to someone's pretty garden or some snazzy stenciling work. Successfully managed to buy my step dad a father's day card, and i say successful b/c i entered the store with the mentality that i was wearing those horse blinder things. i was thisclose to actually walking around with my hands cupped around my eyes so i wouldn't come across any errant father related father's day card, but i didn't want to appear crazy.

There was already one of those huge air intake sob out loud breakdown things in Target as i registered a "To dad from your daughter" card in my periphery....i was only trying to go to a clearance end cap, for goodness sake, and was unprepared for such a sight.

But i sit here with tears in my eyes after trying to win a home depot gift card.

For entry into this particular giveaway, you had to say one of the traits your father passed down to you. Well, crap. Bring on the tears. He was amazing at math (didn't pass that down) and had a head for numbers. Anything could be made into a math problem with my dad, and i lived in fear of being put on the spot to add something quickly. Never has a game of Uno caused a young girl so much anxiety. Now toss out a fancy vocabulary word in every day conversation, that i could do, and that we had in common. Word games and puzzle books travel on every vacation with me, and i attribute that to him.

For their entries for the gift card, people were writing in all these great DIY traits. Well my dad didn't have even a pinkie's worth of diy in him. What truly amazed him was the fact that S and I are doing all these things on our home, and i know he felt that i was provided for, and in good hands, with someone who could literally support us. My dad loved looking at all the improvements we've made, and with every task completed it's a double edged sword for me. Of course i can't wait to show you all this basement progress that has taken years to complete, but god, how i wish i could see my father's face when the project is done.

It's really hard right now. I know i'm not the first person in their early 30's to lose their father, but this IS the FIRST father's day without him. The following weekend is his unveiling (which in Judaism is the revealing of the grave stone), followed two months later with the one year anniversary of his passing.